It's a male garden spider (Araneus diadematus), they do wander indoors from time to time, despite their gruesome look they are usually docile & flee, or play dead if interfered with. He'll be happier outside.

Oh thats interesting, ive not heard of bridge spiders before. Well we've had a lot of wet weather ove the last couple of weeks but the nearest body of water/water feature is the canal which is a good ten minute walk from here.. would they stray that far from what I assume would be their natural habitat?

They're not rare but you usually only find them close to water - and by close I mean a few metres. The only exception I can recall was finding them in a rather spartan outside public toilet - although I suppose there was water nearby! I wouldn't rule out Larinioides cornutus but it's usually found near water too.

Well I'm definitely more than a few metres away from water (excluding the kitchen sink..) how odd that it found its way to my flat then. Perhaps it was accidently carried inside by a flatmate, I know one of us frequently runs alongside the canal but that's idle speculation.Thanks for the ID, its nice to put curiosities to rest = ]